MY FILIPINO IDENTITY: I HATE IT BUT I LOVE IT

By: Jeryme T. Cordero

There are so many Filipinos around the world most especially those who work. It is not only in the Philippines or in the locality. Why is this so? Are they afraid to be here in the country? No, they just want to have stable jobs and earn a living for their families. Is the government not doing something to help them to have work here? Because of this, some of us Filipinos opt to migrate to other countries who can offer us what we need and even wants. Our identity is at stake.
Sometimes when we are asked by foreigners, “Are you a Filipino”? Knowing the issues that the country is suffering, we say, “Uh, uh, I’m not, but honestly yes.” This is one of the characteristics that we as Filipinos do especially when we are in danger. We are clever enough to say this which has an impact on our being a Filipino. We are too emotional and I hate it. When we are embarrassed most especially of what our government is doing, we can accept that we still claim we are Filipinos. It is not that I am belittling my being a Filipino but it is the thought that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by our emotions. We need to use our minds too. There must be a balance between the two. We are too focused on our emotions that we failed to think better solutions especially when we have problems. Some of us resort to drugs, alcoholic drinks, and the like that seem to ease the pain that we have. However, we Filipinos are very resilient and that’s what I love. We can still joke even we are in danger.
Another one, I hate Filipinos who are too bias to relatives and family members may it be in work, leisure, games, opportunities, privileges and the like. At this moment it does not matter what we know but whom we know. It is funny to think of. However, it is part of our being family-oriented persons. With this we do not see the capacity of a person to do a thing especially when we don’t know him/her yet. Instead of knowing him/her, we tend to seek people who are close to us. This is really our bias. It is not that easy to let go. It is as if we have no trust when we don’t know the person without knowing that when time goes by we can be close. Sadly, we don’t see it sometimes. We often prefer whom we knew or approximate as good co-worker that made other people mad at us. In this case, we should practice equality. We provide equal opportunity to all who meddle with us. We should avoid being “choosey” for it will bring danger to us. We need to do justice as well. We give others what is their due.
Lastly, it hate the way we say “bahala na.” It is good that we depend on God about our future but it doesn’t mean that we will just stay there and do nothing. It teaches us to be lazy. With this, how can God help us since we ourselves don’t do something to make life worth living? This is one of the dangers we often do when we think there are no other possible solutions to our problems. Sometimes we have to do our part. We rely for God’s help but don’t be too much that we will just wait there like “Juan Tamad” who doesn’t do something even if he has the capacity to do a thing. We have to maximize what God has given us. We are creative as Filipinos and avenues for growth in talents and everything is opening for us. We just have to grab it and give our best. As we do our part, God will supply what is lacking in us.
Despite the negative values that Filipinos have, I am proud to say that I am a Filipino. What can we do with the things being done? We just have to watch ourselves and rectify our intentions. We just have to believe that we are the good ones. We are special. It is natural that we have imperfections but it is worth to try to be perfect. We have a lot of capacities to maximize. Sometimes we failed to discover it. We still have time. Let us love who we are and hate what is bad. Let us do our part and God will bless us.

SOME FIXATIONS TO ESCHEW FROM FILIPINO MENTALITY

Being a Filipino is somewhat a marvel to the many and to the foreigners for the reasons that Filipinos are very much hospitable, Filipinos are very much respectful to others, and Filipinos are unique in terms of approach compared to other existing citizens in the world. Furthermore, it is my pride also as a Filipinos that we are somewhat patriotic in terms of valuing the possessions, treasures, and culture of the nation, and we are also oriented to the faith that we have by having such piety to God though we can’t deny the very fact that we are not that very fervent in knowing and defending our faith. For short, we respect God, but few are willing to know God and to deepen such relationship to God. There are a lot of things to appreciate being a Filipino for we are in prior to what is beautiful, what is good, and what truth is and furthermore, we are always concerned to a so called social acceptability, where Filipinos are more conscious to our connection to other people. Anyway, with much appreciation to what Filipinos are, perhaps we must also be concerned to what are the things to evade from the natural consciousness and culture of being a Filipino. What are these?

We Filipinos are good in every way that we want to be and in every way that we want to have; however, there are things that are somewhat unacceptable or improper to the awareness of others and also in the self then because of such sub-consciousness that we have, we are not aware that what we are doing is not right. In the end of each certain situation, we are then aware of such improper act and as a result, we felt such apology. This is such an illness. However, time comes that instead of such renewal, we sometimes repeat such mistake. And what are these illnesses that I mean. First is the mañana habit. It is a habit on doing such task or responsibility on the other or later times though it can be done in the very present moment. I know that I am also guilty in this habit for I am sometimes used to it. Why? Because as far as I am concerned, we Filipinos prior leisure rather than work. And by having such appalling attitude, the rest of the succeeding responsibilities are then also taken for granted. And for sometimes, because of this habit we would have such regressions and apologies in life for we had missed the opportunities behind those responsibilities. And with no more such a do, maybe it is better to step by step avoid this nuisance in our identity being a Filipino for by this mañana habit, we take things for granted and it is not good for developing such maturity in our life being a Filipino. Second is the Ningas Kugon. What is this all about? This kind of attitude speaks about the capability of Filipinos to be ignorant. By this kind of attitude, we do things better at first, but the quality of this deeds in the subsequent moments of days slowly fades. For simple, Filipinos are best at first but Filipinos are getting worse time after time and the quality of performance lessens. And we Filipinos will then say: “Anyway, the situation might still be the same.” And by this, it is undeniable that we Filipinos are also ignorant for some situations. Looking at this very perspective, it is very proper for me to say and actualize to avoid this though I know in the very first place that I can’t do it in the very instant. I know very well deep within me that I am guilty in this Filipino attitude that we have for I sometimes take things for granted resulting me to be more ignorant. However, there must also be the moment for me and for us to say to somewhat slowly avoid this kind of attitude because, the results made by this might be undesirable. And in order to slowly renew from this, better take things and means in a very excellent way to the best that we can by not taking this dreadfully serious but with great enthusiasm. Doing activities with proper exertion of effort, with constancy, and with looking at the goodness behind this endeavor makes the work done with such a great surprise of success. Well, it is not that easy to evade ningas kugon, but it is easy to refrain from it by start doing things right. Third are the superstitions. We Filipinos are pretty much observant in such beliefs plus spiritual and invisible creatures in our surroundings and thus, the fears that are struggling within us makes us vigilant. We are so to say afraid to be moved by these elements for we don’t want to have such karma, according to our own dialect. Karma in a sense that we don’t want to experience such suffering done by these supposed elements and fear emerges within for we are afraid to be hurt by someone whom we can’t be revenged physically. However, these superstitions are just irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear. Well, I can say that we are do believe in these beliefs prior to our ignorance. Better deal to what’s more practical and to believe to someone who must believe in, and that is no other than God and no one else. And in order to gradually avoid such superstitions, better try not considering this first and always think for what’s more prior and who’s more to put my faith.

To avoid these three is not that easy, but it will just flow if it would be started to elude gradually. Everything starts from small things and it better to do every single step to do something practical and something moral before we might say in the end that it’s too late to apologize. Being a Filipino is fun for we would always say: “It’s more fun in the Philippines”; but it is best if we try something worthy to do in order to enhance our Filipino lifestyle. We must not only progress in innovations but also in our behavior. We must hopefully start ending these fixations in our Filipino lifestyle and we must try to modify them in their opposites in order for us to say in the end: well done fellow Filipinos, Mabuhay tayong lahat!

– Alan Christian Tabaosares

3^rd Year Philosophy

AM I REALLY A FILIPINO?

I am a Filipino but how can I prove it then? I am a Filipino but I don’t have interest much in Filipino movies, OPM (Original Pilipino Music), and the original color of the skin that we have. Furthermore, I had learned in my subject Hekasi during my elementary years telling the topic about Filipinos: that an original scheme of a Filipino is kayumanggi ang balat, pango ang ilong, kulot ang buhok, at ang wika ay Filipino; upon discovering this, I am then in crisis if my citizenship is really a Filipino or not for I am against this scheme to be applied to my own physical self.

First, I might say that I am a Filipino since I am born in Philippines. Well, many people would agree to this, but wait, this is not yet still a very stable argument to prove that I am really a Filipino because there are certain situations that many Filipinos are born but some are not born in the Philippines, but they are genetically Filipinos. Let us consider the situation of Jose Julian Meneses who was born in Saudi Arabia and after several years, they transferred here in the Philippines and now, he’s a certified Filipino. And by having this argument that I am a Filipino just because I was born in the Philippines can still be disputed and this argument is still vague if many will discover the reality behind this argument.

Second, I might say that I am a Filipino since my parents are also Filipinos. Well, indeed, this can be viable; yet, this can’t be very much trusted as a reason for being a pure blood Filipino. We can’t guess really that much if my predecessors are all purely Filipinos in a sense that according to our Philippine History, we were invaded by a various foreigners and we can’t be sure enough if our Filipino predecessors were destined by them. And thus, I can’t be sure enough if I am really a pure Filipino blooded citizen of this country and since I doubted this reason, this reason is still vague and unstable in terms of defining my identity as a Filipino.

Third, I might say that I am a Filipino because I live within the Local Area of Responsibility of this country. But wait, I am also then certain that this argument is still no that very definite and final enough for not all people living in this country are all Filipinos, and some are foreigners. Identity is not only about place, and thus I consider this reason as viable but not that very much stable to identify myself as a Filipino.

Many reasons had been discussed yet, there is no stable reason to be made for me to be proudly say that I am a Filipino. Well in fact, identifying myself is not just about the place of birth that I have, or about the genetic history of predecessors that I have, or the place that I live with recently; rather, I am a Filipino because I am happily living in the Philippines, I am proud to be a Filipino, and I am happy being a Filipino. And why is it all about happiness? Because in happiness, there will I remain and there will I identify myself with. Being a Filipino is unique and being a Filipino is more on happiness. Being a Filipino is not something to be ashamed of, but it is something to be carried for and to be proud of. Being a Filipino is to be a Filipino, nothing less, nothing more. We are Filipinos and we must be proud of it.

-Alan Christian Tabaosares

3^rd Year Philosophy